Madagascar IV: Bats Alive!
by JakobiFlyingFox
Summary: Circus Zaragoza finds itself caught up in an illegal poaching ring when a curious visitor falls into its lap, asking for help. The zoosters, the penguins, the Zaragozians team up against humans once again in the aftermath of Europe's Most Wanted! Warning: OC Alert...
1. Chapter 1

It had been another successful night for the Circus Zaragoza – seriously, Stefano doubted that even back in its hey-dey, the circus had ever done so well. The sea lion was grinning so wide his jaw hurt; he liked the satisfied feeling that came after a performance, he had missed that feeling after all those years Zaragoza was in a rut. _And now-!_ Now, the circus had found new passion, all thanks to Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria.

Stefano waddled his way over to his cab in the zoo train, lantern in-flipper. He was looking forward to a good night's sleep after that night's performance in Chicago. He found himself humming contentedly as he climbed in. As golden light flooded the car, a small, thick-accented voice cried out from the rafters.

"Ah! T-too broigh'! _Tha's-too-broigh'!_"

Stefano whirled, lantern light dancing crazily of the nearby wall as he searched for the speaker. "Who's-a there?" He demanded, startled.

The voice spoke again, timidly. "If yah wouldn't min' mate, point that away, please…"

Stefano glanced up. "_Scusi_? Hello? Who-a is it?" His opposite flipper tugged nervously at his frilly collar. "I'm-a… er, where-a are you?"

"Up here." The voice stuttered. Stefano aimed the light up and doubled back with a gasp. There, hanging from the top rafter, was a big, black, furry… _thing!_

"_M-mamma mia_," Stefano murmured, shocked.

The thing twitched, and a large, membrane-y cover folded back to reveal a small furry face with big, shining eyes. The thing tilted its head at the stunned sea lion and opened its mouth to reveal a row of neat, pointed white teeth.

Stefano, eyes as big as saucers, inched backwards. "Oh, _mamma mia, Santa Maria, piena di_-!" he yelped as he tumbled backwards out of the cab, lantern flying from his grasp. Stefano scurried upright and shot off into a rather jaunty, clumsy run, but a quick clip for a sea lion nonetheless, calling, "Alice-a!"

Alex was just about to turn in for the night in the cab he shared with Marty, Melman, and Gloria. The car was abuzz with excited conversation about the evening. "Last stop until D.C., right?" Marty asked.

Gloria nodded as she finished removing the makeup off her face. "Right,"

"I can't wait! Who knew this would be so much fun?" Melman squealed.

Alex smiled as he leaned against the back wall of the cab. He stretched his arms and sighed. "Who knew?" He agreed, and yawned. "G'night, guys."

"_A-Alice-a!_"

Alex slipped off the wall in surprise. Marty shot upright and Melman hit his head on the ceiling turning around. "Ow," he groaned.

"Where is-a Alice!" Stefano came scampering over, panic written on his face, his whiskers twitching. When he spotted the lion, he gave a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, _grazie al cielo!_ You must-a come quick!" He fretted, pointing a shaky flipper in the direction of his cab. "There's a _cosa orrenda_ in-a my cab!"

Alex rubbed his eyes, withholding from an eye-roll as he clambered out of the cab to face Stefano. "Come again?" He asked, gingerly.

Stefano dithered, squirming nervously. "It-it was-a monster!" He finally squeaked. "In-a my cab!"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Monster?"

"_Si_, Alice-a!"

"Al-_icks_, Stefano." The lion urged.

Stefano nodded vigorously. "_Si,_ I know! Al-_iss!_ You come-a with me?" He pleaded. Alex tried not to look the sea lion directly in the eyes. Stefano had an awful habit of looking so pathetic when he was upset; his eyes got bigger – if that was even possible – and the corners of his mouth turned down into an almost comical image of dejection.

The lion hurriedly nodded. "Yeah, okay, okay. I'll come."

Stefano perked up immediately. "Oh,_ grazie_, Alice!" He grabbed Alex's paw in his flipper opposite the one holding the lantern and tugged him along. "Just-a this way!"

Alex shook his head. He knew where the sea lion's cab was – it was the cab the zoosters had stayed in the first time at Circus Zaragoza; towards the back of the train. "Just a little farther!" Stefano announced. He halted abruptly, almost causing Alex to run into him. He aimed the lantern inside, his flipper shaking terribly. "Er, it's-a in there," he gestured inside with his head, stepping behind Alex as the lion came forward. The small beam of light the lantern gave off wasn't much assistance as it remained against the far wall.

Alex gently peeled the light out of Stefano's grasp and shone it inside. He didn't notice anything strange right away as he panned the beam carefully along the inside, but Stefano did. "_Ah!_" He squealed. "It's-a up there-a!"

Alex lifted the lantern up to the rafter and stopped. He took a big step back, doubly flabbergasted. What was that thing? He grimaced as he raised the light again. The thing hung stiffly from the rafter, but stirred as the light settled on it once again. "Oy," it protested in a timid, cracked voice. "Please jus' leave me alone. I've 'ad it with the broigh' lights 'eah!"

Alex gulped. _And it could speak, too?_ "Hey, uh," he faltered, glancing down at the quivering Stefano beside him. "Look, this isn't anything personal, but uh, you're kind of trespassing on circus property." The thing unfolded the membrane cover as it had done before, and stared down at the newcomer. A light bulb came on in the lion's brain and he snapped with finality. "You're a bat, right?"

"_Un pipistrello?_" Stefano queried, peeking around Alex. "_Che cosa ci fa qui?_"

Alex wasn't sure how to respond to that; Stefano often flip-flopped between English and Italian when he was nervous. But this bat wasn't anything to be nervous about. Well, aside from the fact that it was far bigger than any bat Alex had ever seen.

"Right you ah, mate," the bat smiled sheepishly. "I'm a bet."

"'Bet'?" Alex asked, not understanding the last word.

The bat shook its head. "Bet, what you just said." Its eyes widened in emphasis.

Alex understood. "Oh, 'bat'! Got it," he gave a 'thumbs-up'. "Sorry, it was hard to tell. Um, your accent," the lion continued. "What is it?" The bat was male, he was sure of it.

"Oh! N-New Guinea, it is!" The bat sounded proud. It smiled to reveal those teeth again. "Come here all the way from the island, just, uh, tryin' to get back now."

"Why-a you say that?" Stefano mustered up the courage enough to speak.

The bat's large eyes darted nervously. "Er well, I er… I need to lie low."

"Lie low?" Alex lowered the lantern. "Why?"

The bat hemmed and hawed. "Er…" he muffled the last word as he wrapped his ample wings around his quivering little body.

"Oh, it's-a nothing to be-a scared about!" Stefano comforted. Alex watched the transformation with surprise. Stefano, who mere seconds ago, was cowering in fear from this unknown apparition, was now soothing an obviously frightened bat.

"What kind of bat are you, anyway? I've never seen one that big." Alex continued, figuring this was a safe enough question.

The bat's head reappeared. "Black flying fox," he replied, softly.

Alex whistled. "Do… all bats get to be your size?" He'd never heard of a flying fox before. The bat shook his head. "No' all, no. I'm a mega-bet."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm a member o' the family o' _Megachiroptera._ The big bets. The little guys yah see here 'r the _Microchiroptera_, 'r the small bets."

Alex nodded absently. So the bat was a taxonomist as well as a stowaway. "I see. Well," he cleared his throat. "Well, you're uh, welcome to stay, I guess. Maybe tell us your side of things in the morning? You're not rabid, are you?" He grinned hopefully. If there was anything he didn't need right now, it was a rabid stowaway.

The bat quickly shook his head. "Nope, not a' all! Er, and thanks." he murmured.

"First," Alex held up a claw. "What's your name?"

"Uh, it's Jakobi."

"Jakobi?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, um I'm Alex, and this is-" he gestured to the sea lion.

Stefano cleared his throat. "My name is-a Stefano!" He declared, gladly.

Alex rubbed his eyes again. "Okay so, no monster here, and I'm going back to bed." He handed the lantern back to Stefano but didn't leave immediately. He was about to ask if Stefano wanted to bunk in their cab for the night and leave Jakobi in peace, but the sea lion surprised him.

"_Si, buonanotte,_ Alice." The sea lion smiled and offered a quick nod. Then he turned and hopped up into the car. Alex shrugged and went back to his own cab.

The appearance of a threat extinguished, Stefano was back to his cheery, bustling self. "_Stai bene,_ my friend?" He asked the big bat. Jakobi offered a look of pure puzzlement. "Er, what?" He asked, timidly. "I'm sorry, I dun' speak… whatever the' is." He looked ashamed.

Stefano hastily amended. "_Mi dispiace!_ Some-a times I will speak in 'Talian." He grinned, apologetically. "What I say was-a 'are-a you okay?'"

That Jakobi understood. He nodded, a small smile starting to form his face. "Well, I ain't any worse 'n I was." He shrugged upside-down.

Stefano nodded. "So-a, New Guinea, eh? Where might-a that be?" He removed his helmet, straightened his frill, and rubbed the fluorescent green stripes off of his body - his special touch for his cannon bit.

"Eh, well, y'know where Australia is?" Jakobi tilted his head again.

Stefano paused as he thought. "Never-a been to that place before, but I have-a hear of it."

Jakobi continued. "S'a small island of the coast. Jus' a little ways 'way."

Stefano looked interested. "You-a come from an island? Then what-a are you doing here?"

Jakobi sighed. "What I just said. I'm hiding out. I uh, have to be here for someone." He shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry, but I just need to sleep… Stefano, is it?"

Stefano nodded, seemingly unabashed by the flying fox's quell. "Ah, you're tired, no?" He blew out the lantern. "You need-a dark to sleep. I know," he finished cleaning himself off, heaved the big doors closed, and then curled up in the corner, directly below the bat. "_Bounanotte,_ Jakobi."

Jakobi murmured something that sounded like "good night" back. Stefano sighed, contentedly. "There is-a nothing to worry about," he yawned. "_Sono certo._"

Jakobi wished he could believe that.

* * *

Well, there ya go! Nice little intro. Jakobi is an OC of mine (you can probably tell from my username :3) and the reason he talks like that is because I am trying to mimic an Aussie accent

The phrases in italics (and Italian) are as follows:

**stai bene? - are you okay?**

**buonanotte - goodnight**

**cosa orrenda - horrible thing**

**sono certo - I am sure**

**mi dispiace! - I'm sorry!**

**Santa Maria, piena di-! - the beginning of the Hail Mary :)**

**Un pipistrello? Che cosa ci fa qui? - A bat? What is it doing here?**

**grazie al cielo! - Thanks goodness/heaven!**


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, sunlight filtered in through the small cracks in the siding of the cab. Stefano yawned and stretched as he got upright. He glanced up at the big hanging bat above. Jakobi was motionless, snoring softly within the folds of his wings. The sea lion smiled as he moved around, taking extra care not to make too much noise. However as he passed, Stefano happened to glance at the floor and he jolted to a stop. A small puddle of blood formed there. Stefano looked up from the puddle to Jakobi, noticing just now that there were numerous deep scratches marking the bat's back. Stefano clapped both flippers to his mouth to stifle a squeaky yelp as he stepped backwards, tripping over his own back flippers and flopping onto his back.

At the hollow_ whump_ that followed the sea lion's blunder, Jakobi stirred from his perch. He moaned sleepily as he unfurled his wings and stretched them to their full length. Stefano gasped. Jakobi's wingspan had to be at least five feet!

Jakobi turned then, noticing Stefano on the floor. He raised a drowsy eyebrow. "Er, oy. Doin' yah exercises?" He smiled a small, shy smile. "I've been tryin' to keep up with the', meself." He sounded embarrassed. "Hahd when you're a bet though an' got no leg muscle." He grinned, but that disappeared quickly when he noticed Stefano not returning the conversation. In fact, the sea lion looked downright hysterical! "You alright, mate?"

"You are-a bleeding!" Stefano blurted, clapping both flippers back over his mouth as soon as it was out. Jakobi's breath hitched nervously as he quickly looked around at himself, twisting in his hold on the rafter. He gave a small gasp upon noticing the deep marks in his back.

"Oh no! I-I didn't think it was the' bad, I…" he worried, wings fluttering. "Oh! 'Ave I been drippin' all noigh' 'eah?" He looked down and he cried. "Ah! I have!"

Stefano started to quiver with discomfort. "Ah, Jakobi, is-a there something you-a need?" He offered in a cracked voice. "I can-a help," he slowly got up and waited on hand, front flippers working at his frilly collar.

Jakobi glanced at the sea lion with a terrified look on his furry face. "I'm leakin' 'eah, mate!" He panicked. "What do I do?"

Stefano felt himself on the verge of hysterics, and it didn't help that Jakobi was as well. The sea lion reached out with his flippers and grasped the quivering, furry body of the bat to steady him. "_Calmati!_ Calm-a down, now!" He begged. "Everything-a alright, _si_?"

Jakobi hiccupped. "No, no, it's no'!" He insisted.

Stefano shook his head, speaking in a slower, softer tone, which helped his own nerves. "Everything-a going to be fine. I'm-a gonna get you some help, my friend." He nodded with a heartening smile. Jakobi slowly nodded in assent.

Stefano carefully released the bat and busied himself looking for some more rags. He found a small blanket instead. "This-a will have to do, for now," he remarked cheerfully, back to business. He paused in front of the bat. "Can-a you get to the floor?" He asked. Jakobi managed to turn himself around and then dropped to the floor with a small thump. Stefano hurriedly applied the blanket to the bat's scarred back. Jakobi winced.

"_Mi dispiace_, Jakobi," Stefano hastily amended. "How-a did you get this way?" He asked, concerned.

Jakobi shook his head. "Was caugh' in a bahbed-wire fence the other day, after I escaped. I was, um, almost captured."

"_'Catturato'_? How?"

Jakobi paused. "I was tryin' to rescue... someone who'd been poached."

"Poached? By who?" The sea lion felt resentment towards this new discovery. To think that Jakobi had suffered such awful injuries while trying to perform a rescue! Stefano muttered something under his breath. The marks were already bleeding through the blanket's cover.

"By humans, who else?" Jakobi sounded despondent.

* * *

And so the plot, it-a thickens, no? Also, typing in an Aussie accent is super hahd :P

**calmati - calm down**


	3. Chapter 3

Gia's coach was only a car away from Stefano's, and the jaguar was more than a little surprised to hear frantic squeals emanating from her friend's car that morning as she woke up. Brown eyes widening with unease, Gia threw open the coach's door and sprang out onto the grass. Stefano's door was closed, but she could hear voices inside. The sea lion's thick, familiar quaver, and a new voice – softer and slightly pained. The jaguar wasted no time in forcing the doors open.

"_Ah!_" Stefano jerked back in surprise. Jakobi squeaked upon seeing the big cat. Gia stared at the scene before her – Stefano sprawled out on the floor and a big black bat wrapped in a blanket.

"_Che cosa sta succedendo, Stefano_?" She asked, trying not to gawk.

Stefano hastily righted himself. "Oh, Gia!" He grinned, glad to see her. "_Hai dormito bene_?"

Gia nodded slightly. "_Si_. Stefano, who is-a this?" She nodded towards Jakobi. The bat shivered into the folds with a frightened whimper.

Stefano pronounced jovially, "Oh, this is-a Jakobi, the Black flying fox, from-a New Guinea!"

Gia raised an eyebrow. "Black flying fox? All-a I see is a bat in a blanket."

Stefano bobbed his head up and down. "_Si_, is true, but he is-a called Black flying fox. And-a he has _un piccolo problema_." He gave a nervous chuckle as he carefully unwrapped the blanket from around Jakobi's body. The bat froze, trying to hunker down into a ball of poufy black fur.

Gia bent down and observed the deep marks with narrowed eyes. "How-a did this happen?" She asked, gently.

Jakobi was glad his fur was so dark – his felt his face heating up with a blush of embarrassment. "I go' caugh' in a bahbed-wire fence."

"He was-a poached, by-a humans!" Stefano added.

Gia ran a paw over the wounds and recoiled when the bat gave a small squeal of pain. "_Questo è male_, Stefano." She shook her head. "_Ha bisogno di aiuto_."

Stefano nodded, admittedly. Jakobi looked up at the two tall creatures around him in confusion. "Oy? What was the'? I cen' understand yah!" he sounded desperate.

Stefano hushed him. "_Sta' zitto_, my friend. You will-a be just-a fine!" He bent and gently scooped the furry bundle up into the blanket, cradling him like a doll. "_Prometto_!"

Jakobi gave up. He was getting dizzy from the shock and the confusion of being around two Italian creatures. He lowered his head into the folds of the blanket and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Okay, everybody! Batten down the hatches and strap yourselves in!" Skipper ordered back. For such a small penguin, his voice could carry surprisingly far. "We're heading to D.C.!"

"Skipper!" Private saluted before continuing. "We'll need fuel, sir, we're almost out!"

Skipper eyed the already-depleted pile of coal and he frowned. "Kowalski!"

"Sir!" Kowalski typed hurriedly on a keypad. "There's a station about five miles down the way, sir!" He looked up.

Skipper nodded, approvingly. "We'll make a quick pit-stop there, then. Everyone awake?"

Wordlessly, Rico pulled down hard on the whistle. And then he nodded. Skipper raised his wing. "Good! Everyone's up, now! Let's get this oversized choo-choo on the road!"

"Wait!"

Skipper looked out to see Stefano and Gia standing just outside the window, the former holding a fluffy bundle. "What are you soldiers doing?" he demanded. "You're gonna miss the train!"

"Sir! The train is not yet moving!" Kowalski interposed.

Skipper tilted his head. "Well, it'll be moving in a couple of seconds! Anyway, where's the fire? Hopefully, nowhere else but the boiler!"

"We-a have _un emergenza_!" Stefano insisted, thrusting the little bundle up to the window.

Skipper eyed the lump with criticism. "What is that supposed to be, a chia pet?"

"With all due respect, Skipper!" Private piped. "A chia pet's covered in grass!"

"Kowalski, initiate penalty for speaking out of turn!" Kowalski obeyed, slapping Private across the face once, twice, and then turned and saluted. "Sir!"

"Much obliged, soldier!" Skipper turned back to the two. "Now if you don't mind, we have a train to start. Get back in your cabs!"

"But-a you must-!" Stefano tore off the covering to reveal a very startled-Jakobi clinging to his flipper. "What just happened?" He squeaked.

Skipper started. "Chimichanga! What in the name of Roosevelt's ghost is this?"

"Is-a Black flying fox, named-a Jakobi." Stefano offered, smiling rather feebly. "He-a was staying in-a my cab for the night! And-a he has a bad back!" He lifted Jakobi so Skipper could see.

The penguin raised a brow. "Well, that's quite a war wound there, soldier. Kowalski! Search any possible way those might have occurred!"

Kowalski began typing on the pad. But Jakobi interrupted. "Wait, just wait. I-I was caugh' in a… bahbedwire fence jus' th' otha day, on an escape."

"Sir!" Kowalski finished typing and saluted. "Injuries like that are consistent with the barbed wire theory, sir!"

Skipper looked back at Jakobi. "Well, welcome aboard, soldier. You've just been verified."

"Uh, verified?" Jakobi asked, tentatively.

"Your background checks out," Skipper responded. "Get him in the cab with one of those hippies, er, the doctor."

"Melman?" Gia reminded, folding her arms. Skipper nodded hastily. "Whatever. Now get back there, soldiers! We've got a busy timetable! Let's vamoose, boys!" He angled his wing sharply forward. Private and Rico began shoveling coal into the boiler and Kowalski rang the whistle three times.

Stefano and Gia stepped back and waited for the zooster's cab. They jogged alongside as the train picked up speed. Gia pounded the door and Alex stuck his head out. His expression was a mix between a grin and a puzzled frown. "Uh, morning guys, what can we do for-?"

"Jakobi needs-a help!" Stefano interjected as he picked up speed. "He-a needs the help of-a Melman!"

Melman, upon hearing his name, craned his neck out and gasped when he saw the limp bat. "Cripes! Is-is that thing dead?"

"No, no," Stefano shook his head. "But-a he needs some assistance, _per favore_!" He pulled the same worried, hang-dog look.

Melman quickly relented. "Okay, okay! Get inside, quick!" He leaned his neck out and Stefano grabbed hold. Alex caught Gia and swung her up as well. Just in time too. "Hey, this brings back memories," Alex chuckled weakly. "Only it's you guys who need a lift, now."

Stefano caught that as funny, and he whooped. "Oh! That's-a right! What a coincidence!"

Melman inclined his head. "Okay, so… what do we have here?" He leaned towards Jakobi. The bat stirred then, shifting away from the curious pair of eyes. Melman yelped as he staggered backwards. "Holy-! It's alive!"

Stefano sounded offended. "That's-a what I told you! Why-a you no believe me?"

Melman cleared his throat. "Well, he wasn't moving, and… I jumped to conclusions. Sorry," he speculated the black lump in the sea lion's hold. "Looks like a bat. A fruit bat to be exact," he decided.

Stefano shook his head. "No, is-a flying fox."

Jakobi broke in, sounding tired. "Fruit bat means flying fox, mate. Well, at least in my case, it does."

"One of the mega-bats, I see. Where are you located?" The giraffe continued.

"Uh, New Guinea,"

"Common area for a Black flying fox," Melman agreed. "You are a Black flying fox, right?"

Jakobi nodded slightly, the movement paining him. "Yeah,"

Melman stepped back, pursing his lips, looking thoughtful. "Well, my diagnosis is exhaustion, clearly from shock of injury. How did that happen, anyway?" He lifted a hoof to point.

"He said he was-a caught in a fence," Gia explained, saving Jakobi the trouble. Stefano finished, "He was-a poached by humans!" The sea lion cried.

Jakobi sighed weakly. "I wasn't exactly poached… Ohh, I just really need ta sleep, here." He adjusted his wings underneath his body.

Melman interposed. "Oh, that would not be a good idea. Going to sleep while you're in shock is not recommended." He swung his neck around. "Stefano, bring him over here, on that table."

Stefano ferried the bat over to a small sort of side table set up in the corner. Originally, before the zoosters moved in, the table had been used as extra storage for some of Vitaly the tiger's throwing knives, but Melman had since converted it into his corner office. The giraffe had made himself a handy reputation since joining Zaragoza on being the chief medical overseer to the members' needs. Now, he pulled out the little drawer and rummaged through the pile of some empty – some not-so-empty pill bottles and bandages until he pulled up a wad of gauze, a roll of bandage, and some salve. "It doesn't look infected," Melman started, laying the materials out. "When did you get this?"

"Jus' yesterday. I tried not to fly too much, which is why I ended up 'eah last night."

"I see," the giraffe struggled with the tube of antibiotic. "Well, the good news is that it looks fairly clean and it's not deep, but I can't say I recommend flying until this heals. Must have been some fence."

Jakobi shivered as the cold gel was smeared onto his back. He still lay face down in Stefano's hold. "Oh, it was awful – all spiky and hahd. Had a devil's time tryin; to roigh' myself." He winced.

Stefano fretted. "Don't-a worry, is-a going to be okay. Melman here will-a take good care of you." He nodded vigorously. Alex couldn't help but think the sea lion was trying just as hard to convince himself of this fact.

Gia stepped over. "Will-a he be okay?" She directed the question to Melman to put Stefano's worries at ease. The giraffe looked surprised. "Uh, yes. Yeah, he'll be fine. He just needs to take it easy," he raised an eyebrow.

Gia nodded. "_Grazie_," she smiled gently at Stefano.

The sea lion gave her a grateful beam. "_Vedi,_ Jakobi? I-a told you: _sono certo_, everything-a going to be alright."

* * *

**Vedi - you see? Questo e male, ha bisogno di aiuto - This is bad, he needs help**

**sono certo - I am sure un piccolo problema - a little problem :3**

**grazie - thank you Hai dormito bene? - Did you sleep well?**

**per favore - please Che cosa sta succedendo? - What's going on?**

**un emergenza - an emergency **

**prometto - I promise**

**Sta' Zitto - (Shut up! XP) Be quiet!**

~ As you can see, I should be fluent in Italian by the time this fic is over X3

And I had way too much fun with the penguins.

Anyway next chapter, WHOOO!


	4. Chapter 4

Soon, Jakobi was bandaged and set and was lying flat out on his stomach on his blanket that was set up in the corner. Being a bat, he wasn't too accustomed to lying on the ground at any time, but as Melman said the rise in blood pressure that resulted in hanging upside down would cause the wounds to seep and take longer to heal. Jakobi had met this statement with a suspicious frown, but did as he was bid. If a little discomfort was all he had to put up with, rather than prolonged pain, he could suffer for a few more minutes. The train was bustling along at a steady clip now, towards the filling station en route to D.C.

Not surprisingly, Stefano stayed by the bat's side, sitting quietly, humming occasionally to himself; asking "_stai bene?_" every so often. At least Jakobi was familiar with that little bit of Italian, and he was more or less able to give a small nod. The cab was surprisingly quiet – the zoosters didn't chat much; their gazes flitted between each other and their new visitor.

At one point, Stefano cleared his throat and managed a timid, "So uh, _se si preferisce,_ if you prefer, would-a you explain what happened?" His lower eyelids drew up in an expression of concern as he folded his front flippers together.

Jakobi sighed. "Well, I guess I owe it to yah." He paused before he continued. "My… home on the island is part of a mango grove. It's not privately owned 'r anythin'. Just ahs for the takin', and unfortunately a ripe spot for poaching." He narrowed his eyes. "Anyway, one evening 'bout a month ago, me an' my mate an' pups were out late when we discovered the' the trees were covered with some type of meshy-net things, and we got caugh' an' no matter what we did, we couldn't shake loose. Several other bets were trapped as well, and as it turns out later that noigh', about four or five blokes start to come in and nab us all."

Gloria looked particularly worried at this point.

"We were tossed into sacks an' packed into the back of a truck," Jakobi continued. "They'd managed to snag all but three of us – the lucky ones what got away, but still that left 'em with eleven of us buggers." He shook his head. "The last minute, before the doors closed, I managed to slip out; I thought my mate was behind me, but when I turned around, she was stuck at the back. It was like Armageddon the next moment – bets everywhere, wheelin' out. An' I had almost reached her…" the bat's voice trailed off with the memory. He looked absolutely miserable.

Stefano reached forward with a flipper and placed it gently on Jakobi's shoulder, mindful of the bandages. "Jakobi, you-a no have to go on, if-a you can't." He assured, comfortingly.

Jakobi heaved a sigh. "Naw, I cen' leave you all hangin'. If I don't get through this right here right now, I won't evah." He cleared his throat. "Well, by that time, the humans reappeared, and slammed the doors shut, trappin' my mate and a few others beck inside. Man alive!" He suddenly chortled. "You should have heard 'em, cussin' their minds off! Those of us what escaped retreated beck to the trees, except for me. I hung around, just ou' of sight. I followed the truck beck to their base, but couldn't sneak in no matter what I tried. So I hitched a ride on the ferry with 'em, and ended up 'eah."

"With those scratches?" Melman queried.

Jakobi blushed under his black fur. "I… thought – key word there – that I could sneak 'em out the other night, but…" he sighed. "The humans, they just _appeared_, from bloody _everywhere_. Almost got me in a cage, but I gave 'em the slip. And, as a reward for my services, I end up flyin' into a great bloody iron fence." He chuckled. "Weird twist of fate, innit?"

"But-a you know where they are,_ si_?" Gia asked. She was leaning against the wall, arms folded.

Jakobi nodded. "Not that is does me any good here. We're movin' _away_ from 'em." He looked over towards the wall closest to him. "They're beck theh," he murmured, gesturing with a wingtip.

Alex bit his lip. "Do you think you'd be able to find them, if we came back?" He surprised himself by leaning closer.

Jakobi shrugged, wincing as the movement sent dull aches all over his back. "Even if I could, I don't know where they're endin' up next. For all I know, they could be leavin' tonoigh'!" His voice rose. "I should have checked… something! Records, books, anythin'! They could be shipped out to… Hong Kong, or Europe for all I know!" He choked on a hiccup breath. "I let 'em down!"

"Hold it, hold it!" Alex intervened. He stepped full over to the injured bat and cupped a digit under Jakobi's chin. "Look, Jakobi, you did everything you could. It's not your fault."

"Yeh, it is!" The bat insisted, tears already forming in his eyes. "I… should have done _something_; given those blasted blokes _rabies!_ But-but…" he sniffled. "I don't have rabies!" He cried. For such a small creature – relative in size to a giraffe, lion, a sea-lion, a jaguar, a zebra, and a hippo – Jakobi possessed amazing lung capacity. Alex let off to cover his ears.

"Jakobi!" Stefano called over the noise. "_C-calmati!_ Calm-a down!" He worked at his frilly collar before kneeling down beside the distraught bat. "Hey, is-a all okay! We all will-a find a way, no?" he looked around the circle of animals, eyes widened in emphasis. "No?" He stretched the syllable, inches away from pulling that infamous face.

Alex was the first to nod, meaning to help anyway. "Yes! Absolutely!" He enthused. "Jakobi, you don't have a thing to worry about – Zaragoza's on the case. We'll get you your family back." He smiled.

Jakobi's cry broke off suddenly and he stared at the ring of animals around him. "Y-you will?" He hiccupped.

"_Si_, circus always stick together." Stefano grinned broadly.

* * *

Hey all! I wanted to thank all you awesome people for giving my story the time to read and review, your thoughts and points are well appreciated!

Not much Italian in this chappie, but I do have something to say: Aussie accents kill me! :O


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright, soldiers! Stretch those legs! Still a long way to D. C!" Skipper ordered back. Rico blew the whistle for emphasis. The Train Zaragoza had reached the station. The chimps were posing as the 'human on board' in their King of Versailles getup as the train refueled to avoid suspicion. The zoosters stepped off the train for a quick break, mindful of the few human attendants around the station. They slipped around back, out of sight, but Stefano stayed with Jakobi, not wishing to leave the bat alone. Jakobi was touched by this sea lion's gesture.

"What-a your family like?" Stefano asked at one point, during a lull in the conversation.

Jakobi smiled proudly. "Oh, they're great – beautiful, really. My mate, Kadeesha, is just abou' the loveliest bat you'd evah meet. And she's a lot calmer 'n me, paht of why I love 'ah so much." He sighed. "An' my pups – Lima an' Aziz – beautiful. They… y'know, they look a lot like their mum. No' much like me," he mused. Then he looked back at Stefano. "You have family, Stefano?"

Stefano gave a start of surprise. "Me?" He gawked. "Oh, well uh… no, no _familia_ of-a my own." He chuckled meekly. "The uh, the circus is-a my home and-a my family all roll up into one." He shrugged with a sort of lopsided, wistful grin. "Live in-a Zaragoza all-a my life, so never leave to have _un familia_."

"But, do you want to? Have a family, I mean?"

Stefano paused. "If-a time comes, who know what-a I do, next? But, it would-a be nice, no?"

Jakobi grinned. "Best decision you can make."

Stefano nodded slowly. "I will-a consider,"

"No rush, mate."

* * *

"So, that's the plan?" Skipper narrowed both eyes in distrust. "You're saying the chia pet has business back Chicago's way?" Before Private could break in with his chia pet bit, Alex nodded.

"Yeah. See, his family's been poached and they ended up in Chicago."

It was afternoon; the train remained a while longer at the filling station so the rest of the circus members could stop to stretch and get something for lunch. The zoosters, Stefano, and Jakobi met with the penguins up front to discuss a plan. "And, you're asking us _why?_" Skipper folded his wings, disinterestedly.

Alex gave him the same expression back. "Really? Because you guys are all high-tech and savvy with… that kind of stuff, so naturally, we thought of you for the job."

Skipper looked startled. "Wait, you mean us go back there? We only just drove the train out all this way, now you want us to turn around? Let's not forget, we've got a show tomorrow night!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "No, not turning around; you guys just go back with Jakobi and… I don't know, do whatever you guys can do to bust his family out!"

Skipper raised a skeptical eyebrow. "In case the kitty hasn't noticed, us birds are busy running a train, not to mention a circus!"

"But that's just it!" Gloria broke in before Alex lost it. "We can take over, just for tonight!"

"You," Skipper repeated, utterly unconvinced.

Gloria nodded, not seeming to realize her hard-selling bit wasn't selling as hard. "Exactly! And you can be back in time tomorrow night for the performance."

"Er," Skipper paused as he rubbed his chin, or at least, where his chin would be on a penguin. "Look, hippies. I don't know how to break this to you, but when you guys take over, things happen." He fixed them with a no-nonsense stare. "_Bad things._"

Marty scoffed, his mane whipping to the side as he tossed his head. "Yeah, right! You're probably just afraid we'd do a better job than you!" He smirked.

Skipper gave the zebra a hard look. "Or maybe I'm trying to keep you from sabotaging this whole thing!"

"Guys, c'mon!" Alex protested, putting his paws between the two. "Really? We're gonna start up with that, now?"

"He started it," Marty insisted. Gloria gave the zebra a hard nudge. "E-nough!" She ordered.

Stefano and Jakobi sighed in unison. "They always like this?" The bat inquired. Stefano nodded. "_Si_,"

Alex exhaled, trying to keep his cool. He looked back at the penguins. "That's our plan."

"Well, your plan stinks!" Skipper threw his wings in the air. "Not only is it impractical, it's also surprising – I thought you were supposed to be the brains among the hippie outfit!"

Alex suppressed a snarl. "I… well okay, fine. That won't work. What do you have in mind?"

Skipper smiled slowly. "Something that'll blow the socks off your plan, that's for sure! Private, Rico!" The two penguins stood at attention. Skipper turned his back on the animals to face them. "Out of four eligible soldiers, I chose you two for this mission, know why?"

"Why, sir?" Private chirped, staring blankly.

Skipper replied, snappily. "Because you two are far more expendable! But that's not the entire reason," he paused as he about-faced. "It's also because you two are more inclined to the dangerous stuff, anyway." Rico gave an unsettling chuckle. Private just continued to stare.

"So!" Skipper went on. "You two are to escort this… Jakobi back to Chicago to find his family, and reunite them for a happily ever after! Then, you are required to return because otherwise, I would be out of expendables."

The two penguins automatically saluted. "You got it, Skipper!" Private squealed. Alex hid his face in his paws, sighing deeply, muttering something like 'this is ludicrous'.

Skipper turned back to face Jakobi. "Well, chia pet, there you have it! Two of my best men are to accompany you back to find your family."

Jakobi's face lit up. "Oh bronzah, mate! Thank you so much!" He struggled a bit, reaching a wing out towards the penguin.

Skipper grasped the membrane in a quick shake and then released it. "Any questions?"

"Uh, me!" Stefano spoke up. All eyes turned to him.

Skipper raised an eyebrow. "The seal wishes to speak,"

"Sea lion!" Stefano protested. "But uh, _me_ _volieri sapere_," he paused and then started again. "Er, _scusi_. I-a wanted to know if-a I could er, volunteer for-a this mission as well." His statement brought about some silence into the room. Jakobi stared at the sea lion with total surprise mixed with gratitude.

"So! The sea mammal wants to put his neck in the lion's mouth?" Skipper commented.

Stefano frowned, puzzled. "In-a Alice's mouth?"

"Figure of speech," Skipper shook his head. "Well, what does the rest of the team say to this?"

Rico just squawked. Private smiled, wringing his wings. "Oh yes!" Jakobi nodded vigorously. "Definitely!"

"So, it's settled, then!" Skipper announced.

* * *

Sorry for the delay! Gaah! Things have been crazy! *flails*

**me volieri sapere - I wanted to know, or I wonder if**

**Scusi - excuse me**

**familia (una) - family (a)**

Stefano's driving me cray-zeh! And so is Jakobi! But i loves the two soso muchness XDD


	6. Chapter 6

Later that day, Jakobi was being prepared for the long trip back to Chicago via a small tow truck that was eavesdropped upon to be heading back that very way. The bat felt much more energized after laying low the majority of the morning, and his back was no longer stinging. He was strapped into a sort of carry-on pack that had to have been designed for a human infant, but it fit the bat nicely. Stefano climbed into the back of the truck alongside Jakobi, wearing his helmet. He gave the bat a cheerful wink. "Well, as-a we say in the circus, 'the show must-a go on'!"

Jakobi chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. You sure you don't mind? Coming along, I mean? You-you didn't have to, I hope you realize that."

Stefano cut the bat off with a firm shake of his head, sending his whiskers twitching. "_Certo che no!_" He insisted. "_Il mio piacere,_ my friend. My pleasure."

Jakobi felt comforted by this assertion. He was glad Stefano was coming along; truthfully, he felt more at ease with this quirky sea lion, despite his tendency to dissolve into unintelligible Italian phrases.

Rico swung up into the cab, with ten sticks of dynamite strapped around his plump little body. Stefano jerked back. The penguin flashed an unsettling grin as he hopped inside. Private followed, wearing a camo vest and carrying a giant walkie-talkie. His grin was blank, but at least it was better than Rico's. Skipper appeared over the rim, frowning sternly. "No funny business; or at least none that can't be mistaken for something serious. Report back as soon as you arrive in the city, and then when you've found the chias, and then when you've finished the job, is that understood?"

Private nodded, but just in case, Stefano spoke up. "_Si, capita, signore!_" He saluted with a clumsy flipper. "Is understood!"

Skipper nodded, approvingly. "Well, good luck soldiers, and you," he glanced Stefano's way. "I've only got one fool to fire out of a cannon until you get back."

Stefano laughed nervously. "Uh, _proprio così!_ Is-a right!" He fiddled with his whiskers, gulping. Skipper nodded and then disappeared. Just then, the truck started up, its engine sputtering. Stefano watched as the Train Zaragoza slowly receded into the distance.

* * *

"We've arrived, Skipper!" Private reported in a chipper voice. "Ooh! It's so bright, here!"

"Focus, Private!" Skipper's voice barked from the other end. "Sea mammal! Get him on the line!" Private thrust the walkie-talkie up to Stefano's face. The sea lion wavered.

"Er, _si?_"

"Tell me what you see!"

Stefano squinted. The four animals were hiding back in a side alleyway, Jakobi's pack strapped onto his back. It was late evening by now, and the city's night life was just waking up. "Well, I-a see _molte persone_-"

"English, soldier, use English!" Skipper interrupted. Stefano jumped, even all this way away and on a walkie-talkie.

"_Si_, that means-a 'yes'! _Signore!_"

"Wait!" Jakobi interrupted. He struggled in the carry-on. "I-I smell something!" He took several deep whiffs. "Stefano, don't you smell that?"

Stefano paused as he sniffed. His eyes lit up. "_Si!_ I do!"

"Smell what?" Skipper's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. "Talk to me, men!"

"We-a smell what-a could be a bat, _signore,_" Stefano replied. "I'm-a going out and-" he looked down to see Rico barring the way. The penguin shook his head wordlessly. Stefano frowned. "_Perdonatemi,_ Rico, I-a need to get by,"

Rico shook his head again. He snuck over to the beginning of the alleyway and peeked out. He motioned to Private, who waddled over. Not two moments later, the two penguins barrel-rolled out of the alleyway. Stefano yelped. "Jakobi! Hold-a on tight!" the sea lion bounded after the two small birds, busily rolling along the streets, surprisingly not drawing much attention. Stefano knew better though. He tried to stick to the sides, just out of sight of curious eyes. Prayers tumbled through his mind as he tried to keep the penguins within sight.

And then disaster struck. Stefano, looking away for a split second, loped into the street. Yellow floodlights filled his peripherals the next moment, and he shrieked, tumbling backwards into a flip, ending up stopping against a vendor's cart on the side of the street. Jakobi slipped out of the pack, rolling a couple feet away. Before Stefano could gather his wits, the vendor started yelling. "The heck are you supposed to be? Get animal control!"

_Animal control?_ Stefano panicked. "Mammia mia!" He squeaked, slipping quickly away. He scooped Jakobi up with his front flippers and then raced off after where he last saw the penguins. Everywhere, crowds of people reacted, just what the sea lion had been trying to avoid. "Call the cops!" Someone screamed, rushing to get out of the way. "They probably have rabies!" Another woman added. Jakobi snorted. "Do not,"

"Ah, is-a nothing, Jakobi," Stefano's laugh was quavering nervously as he weaved in and out between outdoor café tables, people, and more people. "Where-a did they go?" He wailed, desperately. The last thing he wanted was to get mixed up with animal control.

"Stefano!" Private's high voice called from nearby. "Over here!" the plump penguin waved, and then dropped back into a barrel roll. Stefano scurried after him, wondering grimly if that got tiring after a while. They regrouped with Rico and soon the four were out of sight of the tumultuous square.

Stefano sighed, relieved as he relaxed into a walk. "That was-a close, no?"

Jakobi forced a laugh. "Humans overreact over everything, don't they?"

* * *

**Certo che no - Certainly not!**

**Il mio piacere - It is my pleasure**

**Capita, signore - Understood, sir!**

**Proprio così! - It is right!**

**molte persone - many people**

**Perdonatemi - Pardon me**

... well, I guess I can't complain too much about the Italisn - it's such a beautiful language - and besides, I've got some Russian coming up soon. SPOILER ALERT! GASP!


	7. Chapter 7

Luck was with the four – they managed to avoid the more paranoid crowds and after a few more winding turns down streets that just got shadier and shadier, Jakobi sat up stock still in Stefano's hold. "It's here!" He cried, wincing at the sudden pain. "The-the smell! It's coming from in there!" They were stopped in front of an old, looming brick building that had obviously seen much better days. There were no lights on, but there was no noises either for that matter. Everything was completely still.

Rico glanced up and down the front of the building, blank gaze registering the door. He raised an eyebrow in Stefano's direction. The sea lion got the hint. Placing a shaky flipper on the door handle, Stefano managed to turn it, and surprisingly, it opened with a low _creak_. The penguins dropped into barrel rolls once again and rolled partway in before Private waved the sea lion in. "We're clear," he whispered. Stefano stepped in cautiously afterwards, hardly daring to breathe. It was just as dark and empty inside as it was outside. Stefano felt spooked just being in this old place.

"This way," Jakobi directed quietly, gesturing with a wing. Stefano waddled in the direction the bat indicated, back flippers sliding neatly over the dusty floor, making nary a noise, which was impressive considering how clumsy the sea lion was on land, and walking on two legs no less. The room the four found themselves in was much like the last one – dark, empty, and quiet, but the scent from before was everywhere. Rico muttered something. Private coughed in the dust clouds that flared up.

"There-a should be a switch somewhere, no?" Stefano ventured.

"Who's there!?" An old, grouchy-sounding voice emanated from somewhere in the room. The four jumped backwards in terror.

"_Che cosa è stato_?" Stefano shouted, forgetting that they had to be quiet.

"What do you mean by that fancy gibberish?" The voice growled. Stefano flinched.

"What-a you mean by 'gibberish'? Is-a way I speak, is-a normal!"

"Ain't normal here!"

The one who seemed least concerned was Jakobi. The bat had been just as surprised as the rest when the voice appeared out of nowhere, but as it continued to speak, he'd suddenly gotten hit with recognition. "Mate!" He cheered. "Matty! It's Jak!"

The voice sounded confused. "… Turn that blasted light on."

Rico grunted and Private shuffled. Stefano carefully set Jakobi down to feel around the walls, grinning in relief when he flipped the switch. His relief was short-lived however as he turned around. "_Mamma mia_," he breathed. The fluorescent tubes overheard illuminated several metal, gleaming cages stacked up against the wall. Some were covered in tarpaulin, others were empty, but a few were occupied by lonely, dark figures.

"Matty!" Jakobi repeated, as the light flooded the room. The creature addressed was an elderly, bent old bat similar to Jakobi in the top cage.

"Good to see yah, mate," he greeted, smiling gently. "Where you been?"

"Everywheah," Jakobi rolled his eyes, good-naturedly. But then sobered. "Matty, what you doin' here?"

Matty shrugged. "Waitin'. Been waitin' for 'bout a day now. I guess you're here for Dee, ain't yah?"

Jakobi's ears drooped slightly. "Well, not to sound selfish or anything,"

"Nonsense!" Matty barked. "She's yah mate, ain't she? Ain't no shame in rescuing your own family, Jakobi!" The older bat sighed then. "Well, you're too late. She and a couple others were shipped out not two hours ago."

Jakobi felt like he'd been punched. "Wh-what? We're… too late?" He quavered.

Matty shook his head. "I'm sorry, mate."

Stefano bit his lip, whiskers twitching as he stared down at the despondent lump that was Jakobi on the floor. He stepped over, laying a slick flipper on the bat's back. "_Mi amigo_?" When no answer came, Stefano exhaled. "_Scusi_," he turned to Matty. "Where might-a she have been taken, _per favore_?"

Matty growled. "What's the matter with you, mate? Can't talk civilized?"

Stefano glared back. "I am-a speaking civilized! I am-a speaking in Inglese!" he insisted. Never one to get angry, the sea lion was actually quite surprised just how annoyed this bat made him.

Jakobi broke in with a sigh. "Matty, Stefano's Italian, okay?"

Matty quieted down. "Oh, right. Well, yah could have said somethin'," he grumbled. "Anyway, they was off somewhere else. Said they was goin' to D.C."

The coincidence of the moment hit Jakobi like a ton of bricks "D-did you say D.C?" He trembled with excitement.

Matty raised an eyebrow on his grizzled face. "Uh, yeah I believe so. They was all talkin' about it this morning."

Jakobi swiveled around to face Stefano, his eyes shining. "Stefano, they're… they're going our way!" The sea lion nodded, happy at this good fortune.

"_Si_, is-a good news, Jakobi!"

"Good luck," Matty remarked, solemnly. "Tell Dee I says I miss her." His wings hung limply as he turned away. The four animals paused. Rico started to chuckle, a rather unsettling sound. He hopped quickly over and fitted a stick of dynamite into one of the empty cage's locks. Stefano reacted.

"**Che fai, sei pazzo pinguino?!**" He shrieked.

"Fire in the hole!" Private remarked cheerfully, tugging Stefano and Jakobi back as Rico swiped a match against the floor.

Matty was confused. "Wait, what?"

Rico skipped away and not two moments later, the explosive went off. Stefano, Jakobi, Private, and Rico were thrown against the opposite wall. Cages flew everywhere. The tubes overheard flickered and then burst with a tinkle of glass and a short-out of the fuse. Stefano didn't realize he'd been screaming until the blast died down and things inside settled. When he looked up, Stefano gawked to see the cages littering the floor, but surprisingly, all of the locks had sprung and shaky, half dazed creatures waddled out. There were two other bats, besides Matty, a wombat, and a staggering little tarsier.

Matty crawled out from the wreck, moodily brushing the debris off. "Well, that was… interesting."

Jakobi blushed. "Sorry, I-I didn't know he would do that." He looked Rico's way. The penguin seemed right proud of himself, rubbing his wings together in glee. Matty rolled his eyes.

"What's done is done, and we're all thankfully alive." He stuck a wing against Jakobi's chest and prodded him. "Now, you go and get that family of yours back to safety! I'll be seeing you."

"Wait!" Stefano struggled upright, wobbling slightly. His ears were ringing. "You are-a leaving? How-a will you get back?"

Matty grinned. "Airlines, mate. Airlines. Good luck."

* * *

**Che fai, sei pazzo pinguino - what are you doing, you crazy penguin?**

**Che cosa è stato - What was that?**

More penguin mischief and we get some lovely fireworks, too! I just hope our group won't be suffering any long-term side-effects due to dynamite exposure *snickers*


	8. Chapter 8

Skipper was as close to furious as he could get. "Whaddya mean the mission flopped?" He barked into the walkie-talkie. Stefano winced, suddenly regretting his volunteering to break the news. The three still hadn't vacated the old house, even after all the animals had been set loose.

"Please, don't-a shout, _Signore_!" He tried to placate. "We-a did no find Jakobi's family, because they are on-a their way to-a D.C!"

Skipper sighed heavily. "Well, this is a fine kettle of fish, drive all that way for nothing. How are you soldiers getting back, now?"

Stefano paused, looking around at the other three. Truthfully, the sea lion had no idea. Jakobi, strapped into the carry on pack, shrugged. Private just stared with that blank sort of smile, and Rico grumbled impatiently under his breath. "Well-a, that is good question, the best, _Signore_. Because-a we have no idea." He chuckled meekly.

"You didn't think of a back-up?" Skipper sounded like he had slapped his forehead. "We're miles away from Chicago at this point, soldiers, and you've got a show, sea lion! So, think up a plan and report back when you've thought of it!" The line was cut off.

Stefano sighed as he handed the walkie-talkie back to Private. The little penguin smiled cheerily. "Don't worry 'bout it, Stefano! I'm sure we'll find a way!" He turned then and scanned the area. It was empty, not surprisingly. "Well, I got nothing," he shrugged.

Jakobi tried to struggle out of the pack. "Oy, mate, let me out of 'eah. I have an idea. I'll fly over and-"

"_Certo che no!_" Stefano exclaimed, shaking his head. "Melman-a said you were-a not to fly!"

"But, Stefano," Jakobi protested, not used to be restrained. "I can- I can get our bearings from up theh. I need you to trust me,"

Stefano was adamant. "_Non può essere fatto!_ Jakobi, your-a back, it-a needs time to heal!" The sea lion's eyes widened.

"But it feels much better!"

"No, I can no allow it! I can no allow you to put-a yourself in-a bigger danger!" Stefano wrung his flippers, worriedly.

Jakobi relented, seeing just how much his proposition had scared the sea lion. "I'm sorry, it's just… hahd, and I wanna do my paht."

Stefano smiled gently. "But-a you already did! You-a found the scent, and-a you lead us to a rescue!" He added, supportively. Before he could go on, Rico poked him with his flipper, motioning towards the door. "Ah, _si_, we should-a get going."

"How are we gettin' beck, then?" Jakobi queried, his voice softer.

Rico said nothing, not surprisingly. Neither did Private, which was a little more surprising. Stefano was silent as well, which was most surprising of all. The fruit bat sighed and settled back into the carryon pack. "Guess I'll be findin' out soon enough," he muttered.

* * *

Eventually, the four found themselves a bus station. The grimy schedule they found on the pavement foretold the next bus going out D.C's way would come at around nine-thirty, fifteen minutes away. They decided to kick back and relax until then. Stefano clambered up onto the bench and sighed, taking off his helmet and absently started rubbing it, as if trying to make it gleam.

Jakobi shifted himself, still in the carry-on. "Nice night," he remarked. "It's funny how all the same stahs are out 'eah, but I'm in a completely different place,"

"You-a like to look at the stars?" Stefano asked, turning his attention away from his helmet. Jakobi nodded.

"Yeh. It's... peaceful, and knowin' me, I need all the peace I'cn get,"

Stefano smiled. "Is-a no worries, Jakobi." He chuckled. "We will-a find a way to escape those-a worries,"

Rico wordlessly pointed into the street. The bus came chugging up to the curb. Quickly, the animals meandered their way around the bus to hop aboard the back fender, without drawing any attention from the weary-looking passengers.

"Well," Stefano remarked cheerily as the bus started its engine to leave. "We-a made it. _Sono certo_, we will-a find our way back to Zaragoza before too long!"

* * *

Whoo-hoo! Safe and sound! _Sono certo_, this will go well :)

**Non può essere fatto - It cannot be done**

And you guys are lucky there so so many reoccurring words there X3


	9. Chapter 9

Vitaly the tiger stared intently out of the window of his coach. It was late at night and still no sign of Stefano, or the two penguins, or the little baggage with them. Vitaly had been briefed earlier by Gia, who had told him of their giant fox-bat-visitor. He wasn't really sure what to make of it; first of all, was there such a thing as a fox-bat, and second of all, what did it look like? But mostly, he was worried about them making their way safely back. Emerald-green eyes were narrowed as he continued to stare. He was like that, Vitaly, always keeping an eye out for the other members. He always had been and always would.

He twirled a small throwing knife in-between his claws as he gazed, waiting, watching. But his nerves were on alert and when his coach door opened, Vitaly barely had to look behind him as he flung the knife backwards.

Alex yelped as the knife sailed within inches of his right ear. He stumbled back out of the carriage. "Hey, Vitaly!" he protested, getting back up to his feet. "What was that for?"

Vitaly finally looked and he folded his arms across his barrel chest. "Vat you meaning, lioness?" He rumbled. "Is my cab, so vat you doing here?"

Alex sighed as he clambered aboard. "It may be 'your cab', but that still doesn't give you the right to impale visitors." He straightened once he was inside. "Anyway, I was just wondering if you'd seen them, yet."

Vitaly shook his head and turned back to look out the window. "Vat is fox-bat-thing ve have taken in?" He asked.

"Oh, his name is Jakobi, he's a… well a bat, but he's called a flying fox for… whatever reason." The lion wasn't all too sure himself. Maybe he'd ask Melman for clarification. "His family'd been stolen, and last he heard, they were in Chicago."

"Is not so," Vitaly said, shortly. "If family back in city, not take so long to get back."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Well… yeah, that's kinda it. Skipper said they were coming back now. Jakobi's family is supposedly in D.C."

"Ve are planning to help?"

Alex shrugged. "Well, he's… had some trouble and well, it's the right thing to do."

"Is so?" Vitaly glanced around. "Is right thing ve offer help to some fox-thing ve never meeting before?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I do not trust this Yakobi,"

"Jakobi," Alex corrected, gently. "And you didn't trust me at first, either." He inclined his head, grinning. "Did you?"

"Still do not trust," Vitaly grumbled. "Too much… _планы_."

"Come again?" Alex raised a brow. "Vitaly, you realize I don't speak Russian, right?"

"_Я знаю,_" was the sober reply.

Alex frowned. "Okay, now that's just unfair."

"You saying ve are to help this Yakobi, correct?"

"Yeah, so what's the big deal?" The lion crossed his arms, impatiently.

"Mark Vitaly's words, this not end vell."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Just let us know when-"

"They here," Vitaly interrupted. "_Спокойной ночи_, lioness,"

* * *

**планы - plans, intentions**

**Я знаю - I know**

**Спокойной ночи - Good night**

Aw, had to add in a little bit about the great big orange softie, himself :)

I love Russian accents...


	10. Chapter 10

Stefano had barely clambered aboard the cab and took off his helmet before he sank into the pile of straw that counted as his bed. Within seconds, he was snoring. Jakobi hung from the same rafter as he had the night previous. His eyes were closed, but sleep didn't come easy – to tell the truth, sleep was impossible to obtain; he knew where his family was! And he was going to find them, and save them this time!

_Now, I just have to hope and pray that they don't leave again,_ the thought unsettled him, and he shivered within the ample folds of his wings. _No! Stop thinking negatively!_ He told himself, firmly. _Just think what Dee would say…_ and with that, Jakobi drifted off in tune to a beloved memory...

* * *

_"Twins?" He'd been shocked. Twins were a rarity here among the treetops of fruit bats. And for good reason – one usually wouldn't survive due to the lack of food. He'd been worried._

_Kadeesha, with her large black eyes and soft, dark fur, grinned gently at her mate. She was a bit of a rarity herself – her coloration wasn't as dark as the rest of the colony, and the little spot of fur on her mantle was more orange than red. "Jakobi, everything will work out." She'd read his concern._

_"It… will?" Still not convinced. How could they care for two helpless little babies? He and Kadeesha were still young themselves, still largely unwise in the ways of the older fruit bats. Still prone to make mistakes._

_Kadeesha's eyes flashed as only an expectant mother's could. "Mate," she said flatly, not even addressing him as 'love' or 'honey' as she usually did; she was knocking some sense into him. "It'll. Work. Out." Then she grinned one of her radiant grins and winked at his dumbfounded face, leaning forward to nuzzle his nose with hers. "You look so daft right now, lovey."_

* * *

That was a good memory. That was how it all started; Jakobi's life had changed after that. Changed for the better. He smiled contentedly as the last wisps of the memory faded away and the first gentle caresses of sleep began to overtake him.

_Confusion!_ Jakobi nearly dropped to the floor of the cab in surprise. _Fear! Panic! ...__ Loss... Failure... Heartache!_ Jakobi squeezed his eyes shut and moaned. _No, no, no! Stop it!_

The face of the lead human that had taken his family filled his sights: that awful, leering face. "_No!_" Jakobi's hold on the rafter slipped due to his intense outburst, and he dropped like a stone to the floor. He lay where he'd landed, sort of corkscrewed around, one wing over his face, sobbing.

Stefano jerked awake. "_Che cos'e?_" He mumbled, groggily. His bleary gaze picked up the bedraggled little lump of fur on the floor of the cab that was Jakobi. The sea lion was up in a flash. "Ah! J-Jakobi! What-a happen to you?" His flippers shook uncontrollably as he bent over the shivering mess.

"His _face_ was so awful to look at!" Jakobi sniffled, pathetically. "The way he looked at us all, like we were some blasted bloody trophies to be won, and not –" he dissolved into sobs again.

"_Sta' zitto, mio amico_," Stefano soothed. His flipper stroked the bat's bandaged back, in a mollifying effort. "Everything is-a gonna be okay. Remember what-a I say before? _Sono certo,_" despite himself, Stefano yawned.

Jakobi's sobs gradually diminished. "I... I just want my family back, Stefano. I want 'em so bad."

Stefano nodded, understandingly. "_Si_, I'm-a sure you do."

After a few moments of silence, in which Jakobi managed to calm down, Stefano asked, softly. "_Bisogno aiuto_? Do you need-a help?"

Jakobi nodded, allowing the sea lion to help him get settled on the rafter once more. "Mate?" He said, wrapping his wings around his body.

"_Si?_" Stefano asked, already curled up amid the straw.

"Thanks... for everythin'."

Stefano murmured something that sounded like 'mio piacere', and the next second, Jakobi heard his friend snoring.

* * *

**Mostly one-on-one interaction between these two. Dun' worry my pretties, the juicy bits are coming up**

**XD Muahahaha...**


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Jakobi woke to an empty cab – Stefano was nowhere to be seen, and neither was his helmet. The bat stretched his wings, yawned widely, and dropped to the floor where he sort of wobbled over to the entrance and blinked at the scene before him. The train had stopped along this wide field and the circus animals were out and about, practicing for that night's performance. Jakobi shielded his eyes against the sunlight as he hopped out of the coach and sort of hop-walked along the length of the train. He was so small, he could easily have been missed.

Jakobi hadn't noticed he'd been gawking until he almost walked into a big orange something that was just stepping out of another cab, along with a smaller, wispier thing. Startled, Jakobi jolted to a stop, which in turn caused him to trip backwards.

Gia and a tiger stood in front of him. Gia he recognized and offered a shy wave. But the tiger was new... and quite terrifying. He towered over Gia – and Jakobi on the ground - and held at least five broadswords and a collection of smaller knives in his great paws, glaring down at the dark furry lump on the ground.

Jakobi scurried to his feet, mumbling awkwardly. "Ahh, g'morning. Ahm, Gia? And… 'ello there."

Gia smiled. "_Buongiorno_, Jakobi."

The tiger grunted. "So, you are Yakobi, de fox-bat-thing?"

"Uh, it's Jakobi and, um... yeh, I guess so."

The big cat sniffed. Gia nudged him. "I am Vitaly," he finally muttered, and with that he strode swiftly off.

Gia laughed hollowly. "Ah, _si_, Vitaly... does not-a like new people. He-a doesn't like-a the change."

Jakobi felt little more than worthless. "I see."

"Oh, is-a no worries," Gia comforted. "He will-a come to his senses." She nodded herself and left as well.

Jakobi picked himself up, brushed himself off, and started off again, looking for Stefano and hoping he didn't run into Vitaly again anytime soon. The big cat terrified him. Eventually, Jakobi sort of sunk onto the grass and watched the rehearsal. There was a huge net spread across a good part of the field with trapeze ropes and swings hanging several meters over it. There was also a cannon set up nearby several boxes of dynamite – Jakobi had to do a double take to realize it was indeed dynamite... and that Stefano and Marty the zebra were...

"_Holy shite!_" Jakobi squeaked in alarm. He broke into a hasty run, which resulted in him tripping more often than not, but he managed to reach the cannon and squealed, "The bloody stars're you two doin'? Get out of the bloody _way!_" He waved his wings in a blind panic.

Marty glanced down. "Oh hey! Bat! How ya doin'?" He grinned.

"No, no," Stefano broke in. "His name is-a-"

"_MOVE_!" Jakobi practically roared.

"'Move'?" Stefano noticed the bat's hysterical state. "_Che cosa_, what is–?"

"There's a flippin' _cannon_! With dynamite!" Jakobi's voice cracked. Couldn't they see the danger they were in?

Marty turned his head, and then slowly turned back around. "Uh yeah. We know. It ain't lit."

Jakobi's cry broke off mid-squeal and he hastily dropped his upraised wings. "Oh," he swallowed. "Sorry, I uh... shoulda looked."

Stefano brushed it off with a cheerful wave. "Is-a nothing! My first time shot out-a cannon, I was-a _molto terrorizzata!_"

"Er, what?"

"He overshot the landing pillow," Marty explained. "Crashed into a cliffside, and I had to save him." He playfully knocked his hoof against Stefano's helmet. The sea lion retaliated with a grin, smacking his flipper against the offending hoof.

"So... there's no danger?" Jakobi felt very awkward. Marty shook his head.

"Nope! Clear as the eye can eye!"

"Oh... okay then. Um, mind if I watch?" Jakobi set himself down on the grass as the two animals went off. Stefano went first. The sea lion burrowed himself amid the thousands of explosive sticks with a cheerful grin.

"Ready for launch!" He declared.

Jakobi watched, open-mouthed, as Marty lit the fuse and then with a ground-shaking boom, and an accompanying cloud of smoke, Stefano the sea lion went sailing into the air, whooping with glee, a dark streak against the bright blue sky, flopping into the landing pillow about a hundred feet away.

For all his nervousness, Jakobi caught himself chuckling at the crazy creature. Stefano was nuts to attempt such a feat, especially having no wings to speak of. _Crazy._ The bat's mirth escalated into full out peals of laughter. He flipped onto his back in the grass, wings wrapped around his middle, hysterically giving in.

As Alex had rightly observed, Jakobi possessed amazing lung capacity, and it wasn't long before his laughter spread first to Marty, then Stefano, then over to Alex and Gia performing on the trapeze, then over to where Vitaly was practicing with his knives. The tiger was more than a little startled at this sudden and unwelcome interruption. All over, the animals of Circus Zaragoza stopped what they were doing to listen to the resonating hilarity. And it wasn't long before they gave into it themselves.

In the engine room, Skipper was discussing that evening's performance with his fellows, when the ringing toll of voices caught his ear. He hopped up to the window. "What in the name of Sam Hill has possessed these mammals?" he demanded.

Kowalski hurriedly typed in his keypad. "Sir! I believe this is called laughing, sir!"

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Well, riddle me something I _don't_ know, soldier! What I aim to know is _why_."

Kowalski was silent as he typed more. "Sir! According to this, laughter will ensue from any of these three categories: a hilarious incident, a tragedy, or for absolutely no reason at all, sir!"

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "Well, that leaves us in a fine fix! We'll have to get to the bottom of this and soon, soldiers! Fall out!" The four penguins broke apart and leapt through the door, karate-chopping or barrel-rolling themselves through the grass, commando-style. They continued this until they reached the scene of the crime.

Jakobi was still on his back, his maw opened in a wide smile as he continued laughing. Tears dampened his cheeks. The four penguins bent towards the shuddering creature and closely regarded this case.

"What d'you make of this, soldier?" Skipper raised a brow. Kowalski paused to type, and then he saluted.

"Sir! I do believe this has something to do with the third category mentioned: laughing for absolutely no reason at all!"

"Hey! Chia pet!" Skipper barked. Jakobi hiccupped as his eyelids flew open to behold the four black-and-white faces staring over him. His merriment vanished quickly as Stefano had shot out of the cannon. He hurriedly gulped and sat up.

"Uhm, ha, hi, s-sorry 'bout that. Had a bit of a…" his shaky tone threatened a giggled. "Sorry, really. I-I was jus' thinking 'bout…" he threatened to slip. Skipper solved that by grabbing hold of Jakobi's shoulders and giving him a good shake.

"Get ahold of yourself, soldier!" The penguin ordered. "There's no call to act like a brainwashed Russki now!"

"Vat you saying?" None other than Vitaly should appear, knives in hand, looking rather put-out. Jakobi gulped. Now that was a sight to put his amusement at bay. In fact, put it in prison and throw away the key.

"Vat is loud noises going on?" The tiger glanced down at Jakobi and it was obvious the bat was caught – his cheeks were damp, and he still hadn't recovered his wind. "You wish sharing moment of, how you say, funny?"

"Sh-sharin'?" Jakobi croaked. "What-what d'ya mean by thet?"

"I think he means is what was so funny?" Private piped up.

"Oh, well um… I guess it was a bit of an ear-bash, there." Jakobi wished he could just sink into the ground. "But, uh, the cannon. Struck me as funny."

"Cannon is no such thing as funny." Vitaly condemned. "Cannon source of control and steel of nerves!"

"Ah, don't-a you mean 'nerves of-a steel'?" Stefano and Marty came up, then.

"So, that was you?" The zebra gave Jakobi a look like a cross between 'that was really loud' and 'I wish I knew what was so funny'.

"Uhh, yeh, that was me." Okay, now Jakobi wished he would sink into the ground and then into whatever was below the ground.

"You got yourself a good set of lungs, soldier," Skipper observed slowly, tapping his beak with his flipper. "Can you use 'em for anything else besides laughing?"

Jakobi was flushing all different shades of red under his dark fur. "…I can sing."

Suddenly, all eyes on him looked very intrigued.

* * *

**Funny penguin moments is funny :3**

**Oho! So the chia-pet can warble, can he? Kowalski! Get me the stats!**

**XDD**


End file.
